


we live happily forever so the story goes

by Analyse (D_Willims)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: But He Fakes It Pretty Good, Gen, Missing Scene? Missing Scene, Will Byers Is Not Okay, You Can't Convince Me Will Byers Likes Horror Movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-27 23:16:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19799785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D_Willims/pseuds/Analyse
Summary: Will doesn't like scary movies, but he wouldn't say that even if Mike was listening.





	we live happily forever so the story goes

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title from "Come Sail Away" by Styx.

Will doesn’t like scary movies anymore. He used to, once upon a time. But now they just leave him scared and shaking and sleeping in Jonathan’s bed for weeks afterwards. (It’s _worse_ now that Nancy is over so often. But Jonathan never complains about coming to Will’s room to sit with him until he falls asleep.)

Once Mike decides they want to see something, though, that’s what they see. _Especially_ when Lucas and Max want to see it, too. Will’s outnumbered and he knows it.

_Day of the Dead_ has barely started when Will feels that crawling sensation on his neck. Like a thousand spiders running up his spine. But ice cold and strangely sticky.

It’s too much.

Will feels cold and clammy. Sick. He pushes himself to his feet and doesn’t bother coming up with an excuse for leaving. If he’s honest, he doesn’t think Mike’s even noticed.

And so he wanders back down the cold, sterile hallway that runs through the mall. Tries not to think of the lab again. Small tears collect in the corners of his eyes and he wipes them away violently before he stops at the door with it’s little _Scoops Ahoy_ sign. Tentatively, he knocks once. So soft he doubts Steve heard him.

Robin’s the one that opens the door, at any rate. “Hey, dingus,” she shouts before switching places with Steve.

“You’re looking a little pale, there, Byers,” Steve says with an easy smile. “The movie that bad?”

Will shakes his head, curls his fingers around each other anxiously. “I don’t feel good,” he offers very quietly. Barely above a whisper. “Can I just stay here for a while?”

“Yeah, of course, buddy.” Steve curls an arm around Will’s shoulders the way Jonathan does and leads him into the store room. Sits Will down on an empty box. “Want me to call the house? See if someone’s around to pick you up?”

Will shakes his head again. “Jonathan’s coming to get us in a couple of hours, anyway. I can wait.”

“If you’re sure…” Steve doesn’t seem sure but he doesn’t push it.

Robin pushes the window open. “Can I take my break _now_ or are you still playing with children?”

“Slave driver,” Steve responds. He goes out to the front, anyway. After a beat, Will cautiously shuffles after him, trying to offer Robin a little, grateful smile when he passes her. It falls short, though, and he feels even more miserable.

He sits on the floor, leaning back against the ice cream case, and pulls his knees up to his chest. Shivers. The creepy-crawly spiders are back and he wants to puke.

“Cold?” Steve asks.

Slowly, Will nods his head. The Mindflayer likes cold and so Will hates it, even if the summer heat is so oppressive he thinks he’ll die every time he sets foot outside. Sweltering in the heat until he makes himself sick is so much better than shivering until he thinks he’ll split open and the Mindflayer will spill out.

Steve slides the window open “Throw me my jacket, will you?”

“It’s not going to help with the ladies,” Robin shoots back.

“Shows what you know. That’s my lucky jacket.” It hits Steve in the face, followed shortly by the click of the window closing. “Thank you!”

Steve turns to Will and drops the denim jacket in his lap.

“Thank you,” Will says much softer than Steve did. He hesitates for a moment and then thrusts his arms through the sleeves so he’s wearing it backwards, tucks his knees up under it. Makes himself as small and out of the way as possible.

He doesn’t know how much time passed like that. Him curled up under Steve’s jacket, Steve and Robin working around him. Casual and easy like he’s meant to be there. Once, Steve nudges him with the toe of his shoe and hands down a sample of rocky road. “You’re favorite, right?” Steve asks.

Will nods and says, “Thank you,” even though he really doesn’t like ice cream that much anymore. Rocky road is still delicious but it’s like ice in his veins and churns in his stomach. When he’s done, he curls back in the jacket. He drifts. Has nightmares about the darkness creeping back into Hawkins.

When he wakes, it’s to Mike’s voice, “What happened to you? We thought you got caught!” As if Will hasn’t been sneaking into the movies with them all summer.

“It’s fine. I just didn’t feel well,” Will lies and tells the truth all at once. And Mike frowns but doesn’t push it. “Let’s go out front to wait for Jonathan,” Will continues, pushes himself to his feet. He keeps Steve’s jacket wrapped around himself. It’s too hot for it but it makes him feel better.

“Thanks, Steve,” Will says before they leave.


End file.
